Avalon: Beyond the Retreat (The Avalon Series Book 2)

by L. Michael Rusin

  Caroline, Roger and Doctor Dan came from Avalon on house calls once a month or sooner, if necessary, to ensure that everyone’s health was preserved. On various occasions, patrols were dispatched, either on foot or by plane and at times on horseback… depending on the distance. Outlying farms and homesteads were visited to see if there were any survivors from either Fitch or Avalon, and when livestock was discovered, they were released from their confines to range free.

  Every house was investigated and many pieces of furniture and household goods were salvaged to be used elsewhere. If there was a need for furniture or anything else that made a living space more comfortable, it was delivered without hesitation. Books in particular were gathered up and distributed wherever there was a need for them. The men in the towers particularly liked them to help pass the time. Occasionally the books were traded to eager readers at other towers, to Avalon, or to Fitch.

  It was a society dependent on others in these close-knit and combined communities. Tools, kerosene, canned goods, candles, writing paper and writing devices such as pens and pencils were cherished by all. All types and brands of alcoholic beverages were sought after. Of course there were other things such as shoes, socks, underwear, shirts, jackets, blouses and dresses that were in demand. Anything serviceable was gathered up and either sent to Fitch or Avalon to be distributed.

  Hand tools used for gardening were in demand by nearly everyone. Farmhouses were searched, and anything useable was dismantled with meticulous care and relocated to where it would serve a need. Nothing was left to waste.

  Many items were no longer being manufactured and people needed to learn where they could get certain things. One of the big items was window glass. Homes that were abandoned early on in the war were stripped completely and left as shells. Eventually they were completely taken apart board by board and re-used elsewhere. This was most evident in the countryside where the sight of chimneys standing alone. Silent sentinels, like the stone statues on Easter Island, standing guard against nothing but time and the elements.

  Radios were hard to come by, and whenever they were found, they were reassigned for use as needed. Auto parts, as well as horse or mule-drawn wagons and their harnesses were scavenged. When a barn full of alfalfa was found, it was gathered up in an old wagon and hauled to wherever it was needed.

  Antennas were sought after by everyone. One of the prized commodities was toilet paper. To the point that people nearly fought over it. Although the stored toilet paper at the large discount store in Fitch was holding out, it was becoming obvious that it wasn’t going to last forever.

  Over the last three months, runners had been sent to Bishop to establish trade and communication with the few who still lived there. The town was one hundred fifty miles southeast of Fitch, and another trade partner was welcomed. The residents of Bishop were reluctant at first and suspicious of the citizen diplomats that were sent to them from Fitch and Avalon. Eventually the visitors were accepted and trade began. It was slow at first but quickly became well-organized and beneficial.

  Bishop asked for, and received, instructions and aid in constructing watch towers. They built and camouflaged the houses and the local area to ensure no footprint existed, even to the discerning eye. They decided on three towers, one each to south, north, and to the east. This was nearly identical to what had been constructed at Fitch, and made for a better alert system all around; people felt more secure because of it. Each tower had a designated tower captain who was in charge. When the towers were finished, they trained their guards to ensure their people could emulate all of the others around Fitch.

  Several outlying building and supply centers were systematically emptied of anything useable. Hardware, paint, roofing materials, and a myriad of building supplies were needed. In the surrounding area, mobile homes and camping trailers were relocated and placed wherever they were of most use.

  The same went for National Guard and Police armories. Anything useable was appropriated for the common good. Most importantly, everyone realized the importance of fast communication. To maximize the efficiency of information sharing, several motorized hang gliders, experimental aircraft and gyro copters were found and pressed into service.

  Gyro copters were considered flying motorcycles of the sky. They could take off and land in a relatively small area, were faster than horses or people on foot, and were relatively safe when flown with common sense. The trip up the mountain to Avalon by horse or on foot could take as long as three or four hours, or with luck by motorcycle, perhaps an hour and a half. A gyro copter could make the trip in as little as half an hour.

  Seven of these handy machines had been found at a small airport where their previous owner had abandoned them. They were a welcomed find and were pressed into service quickly. Mike and a woman who had a lot of previous flying time with these machines, began training several key people in their use. One was kept at Avalon, another at Fitch and three were maintained at the watch towers. Two were used as trainers.

  Radios were in use, but anyone who had a radio could listen in. Users had to exercise extreme caution when broadcasting over the air. It was decided that highly classified messages would be relayed by a pilot flying a gyro copter or a motorized hang glider. This plan was working, and the messages that were critical or secret were being delivered without compromise. It made everyone safer.

  When medical help was necessary, a doctor could be delivered to the victim in a relatively short time or a victim could be flown to the doctor. As time slipped by in a world gone crazy, with armed bandits preying on the weaker members of society, the ability to adapt swiftly to situations was paramount.

  Every day something new was added to the arsenals and to the tools people needed to ensure their survival and peace of mind.

  Chapter 4

  Sneak & Peak

  MIKE AND SAM LAY watching and listening to Bone Breaker’s plans using a tactic known as the ‘Sneak and Peek.’ The Sneak and Peek was simply that. An individual or group would ease their way unseen and unheard within intelligence gathering range.

  They discovered that the gang would attack in two days, in two locations. It seemed a bit odd to launch an attack on both Avalon and Fitch, since it was apparent they still did not know the exact location of Avalon, itself.

  A boy tripped over Sam and the look of amazement on the boy’s face turned into one of sheer terror. Just as he took a deep breath, Sam quickly reached over and clasped a hand over the boy’s mouth to prevent an imminent scream.

  Immediately after, a young girl who appeared to be following happened upon them. She hadn’t seen what happened to her brother, and was walking bent over at the waist when Mike grabbed her and pulled her close to him, likewise clasping a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.

  Both children were terrified, squirming, trying to get away. Mike warned them in a hushed voice, “You kids stop struggling. We aren’t going to hurt you. Those are slavers over there and if they hear you, you’re both going to be their supper tonight. Cut it out!”

  The youngsters cautiously relaxed and Mike loosened the hold of the one he had. “What are you kids doing out here? Don’t you know if those slavers catch you, you will both be killed and eaten?”

  The girl spoke quietly, “We were with our mom and dad, but we got separated back there somewhere. She pointed in the direction they had just come from.”

  Mike looked at Sam. “I’ll take care of the kids. You find their parents and bring them here.”

  Sam nodded and left. “You two remain quiet and stay very still. Once Sam finds your parents, we’re going to a place called Avalon. Are either one of you hungry?”

  They didn’t say anything but nodded their heads up and down. Mike reached down and pulled some jerky from his waist pouch and handed a piece to each of them. They smiled gratefully, each biting a piece off and chewing it with a look of appreciation on their faces.

  About ten minutes later, Sam spotted the man and woman coming towards him armed with
rifles. Sam allowed them to pass and then spoke quietly. “Don’t move another step. There is a camp of slavers up ahead. If they find us, we’re toast. My partner has your children and they’re safe.”

  Shirley Stewart was taken aback by this man all made up like a monster in the ghillie suit. “Don’t be frightened ma’am; this is just a military disguise. My partner sent me out here to find you just after we found your kids. My name is Sam. Come with me, and please be as quiet as you can. No talking for now, we’ll have plenty of time to talk and explain later.”

  “Oh thank God… I was worried sick!”

  Sam turned and they started back to where Mike and the children were. When they arrived, Mike turned and quietly greeted the trio. Mike whispered as he offered his hand. “Great job, Sam. My name is Mike.” Motioning for them to follow, they moved away from the slavers. “Follow us. We’re going to Avalon. Are you hungry?” The adults nodded.

  The slaver’s camp was settling down for the night. Sam and Mike led the way walking single file. After an hour they were well clear of the slavers. Mike stopped and offered the family food and water. They took what was offered, it was obvious they were hungry and thirsty. Mike pointed up the mountain ridge. “We have a retreat up there.”

  From where they stood, Mount Shasta was hidden from view, shielded from sight by the lower mountains that paralleled the valley up above. Randy introduced his family to Mike. “We are Shirley and Randy Stewart, and these are our kids, Brandy and Mitchell.”

  “Nice to meet you, we’ll be there in three hours. Walk slowly but steadily until we get to our bikes. Then we’ll get us all back up the mountain by riding three to a bike.” They walked for twenty minutes before they reached the hiding place where the bikes were stashed.

  Randy and Brandy rode with Sam and Shirley and Mitchell rode with Mike. In two hours they arrived at the edge of the large trees and saw Avalon off in the distance. The warm glow of the lights coming from windows was a welcome sight.

  Mike said, “This is our home, our community. There are lots of people here. You and your family will be safe.”

  Mike keyed his radio. “Birds coming home to roost.”

  Caroline answered, “It’s about time, Sailor. I’ve been worried sick about you two.”

  “We have company. Tell Chad to put some food out for them. I think they’re hungry.”

  The two men rolled on the power and headed into the retreat. There were twenty or more people waiting for them in the big entryway when the two bikes stopped.

  The food was good and much more than the newcomers had become accustomed to in the last seven months since the war. They ate greedily. Brandy drank a whole glass of milk down in one long swallow and promptly burped loudly, making everyone laugh. She was quickly given another glass. “Where in the world did all this food come from?” Randy asked amazed at what he was seeing and eating.”

  Doctor Dan spoke up, “We grow it ourselves. We are a self-sustaining community. Everyone chips in to make it all happen… food, security and fellowship. We are as tight knit as you can get outside of an actual family. Some say we’re tighter.”

  He smiled and looked around and everyone was smiling at him. “This food is delicious.” Shirley was beginning to slow down her eating, all of them were getting full. They didn’t require very much as their stomachs had shrunk from the lack of food, as they had been foraging for anything to eat, day-to-day.

  “Our chefs are the best around. We lack for very little in the way of nutritious food.” Crystal spoke smiling broadly at them when she finished.

  Once the family of newcomers had finished eating, the people gathered around them and flooded them with questions. They discovered how this courageous family was able to avoid detection by scrounging along the coastline, further inland, in the forests and along the lake. They had built small houses out of branches much like the nomadic Indian tribes had done many years ago, abandoning them as they moved on.

  They had foraged from the land eating wild mushrooms and berries, dandelions, buffalo berry, butternut, clover, wild grapes and much more. They also added small grubs and worms when they could find them under tree bark and old fallen trees. They ate small rodents, insects, wild birds and bird eggs when other food was scarce.

  Occasionally when they were lucky, they would encounter a deer, which would provide meat for quite a while. They smoked what they couldn’t eat at a single sitting to preserve it for a later time. Along the seashore, they feasted on clams, fish and crabs… and so it had gone for the last seven months. None of them appeared to be undernourished but they were slim in appearance.

  Randy was a Ranger-qualified Army veteran and could handle most situations that arose… and there had been more than a few scary incidents during the last seven months. He trained his wife and two children to survive an outdoor existence. They had become competent foragers and wild-wood survivalists.

  Brandy was twelve and Mitchell was almost nine. Shirley was thirty four and Randy had just turned thirty five. He and Shirley have been married for fourteen years. Their stories were intense and interesting. In the final analysis, they had struggled for the last seven months with hunger and suffered from the outdoor elements until they learned how to deal with it properly. That took some time, but Randy was a patient teacher and he and his family endured it together. Some of the duties and labor fell from Randy’s shoulders onto those of his helpers as they became more competent with their newly learned skills.

  Randy appeared a formidable foe. He was six feet tall and weighed about a hundred sixty pounds. His long, sandy colored hair fell into his eyes and his lean frame was very muscular. He was quick to smile and appreciated a joke as much as the next person.

  Shirley was five-five and probably weighed a hundred pounds. Her long black hair was in striking contrast with her pale complexion. She moved with the grace of a dancer and was not only keenly alert to what was going on around her, she also seemed to have a highly honed intelligence level. Her perfect teeth accented her glowing smile and she had dimples on both cheeks. She was very attractive and much younger in appearance than her actual age. There were small wrinkles in the corners of her eyes that betrayed her youthful appearance if she was examined closely enough, which men were prone to do.

  Brandy exuded excitement at her newly-found home and the people around her. Her hair matched her mother’s, and if beautiful is an appropriate word to describe a twelve year old girl, then that’s what she was.

  She looked amazingly like her mother. She even moved like her when she walked, and her mannerisms were identical. It was like watching a smaller version of Shirley. She was about five feet tall and probably weighed around sixty-five or seventy pounds. She smiled a lot, showing perfect teeth just like her mother’s. She was inquisitive and quick to pick up what people around here were discussing. She was intellectually mature beyond her chronological age.

  Mitchell was in contrast to his family. He was a stocky lad who sported a deep tan from continual sun exposure. He probably weighed as much as his sister and his long, light blonde hair hung down around his shoulders. He was going to be a big man eventually by the looks of him. His Dad always insisted, in a joking way, that he was a result of a visit from the Cable guy.

  Shirley didn’t think it was funny but shrugged her shoulders on occasions when the subject came up. She knew he was a dead ringer for her grandfather, who was Norwegian. Mitchell was quiet but paid attention to all that was said.

  They were a tight family and they depended heavily on each other. They were going to be a valuable addition to the retreat.

  Doctor Dan looked at the new Avalon members. “What we’d like to do with you folks, if you don’t have any objection, is to keep you here at the retreat until we can find a spot where you can be of the most use to all of us and yourselves. We have a small log cabin available, where you can live until then.”

  “You can stay in one of the hotel rooms until the cabin is cleaned up and presentable. We’ll take c
are of that first thing in the morning. In the meantime, please consider yourselves welcome here at our little community called Avalon. Breakfast is served from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. We’ll find jobs for all of you in the next day or two and see how that goes. Any questions?”

  The family looked at one another in amazement and smiled, shaking their heads. When no one said anything, they were shown their rooms.

  Chapter 5

  Journey South

  ERIC’S GROUP, led by Sergeant Woodall, continued west and south until they intersected with I-5. They would convoy down the freeway until they reached Portland. Whenever the convoy strayed from the freeway, they found more carnage and mayhem. Dead bodies lay on sidewalks, roads, and in abandoned buildings.

  The flies were horrendous. Rats openly fed on the corpses. Emboldened by the feasting, they made no effort to escape from approaching vehicles or men. The stink of the dead was overpowering and nauseating.

  Many of the Soldiers or Marines who smoked filtered cigarettes broke the filters off and stuck them in their nostrils to help mask the terrible odor of the dead bodies. Some of them put handkerchiefs over their faces to keep flies from invading their mouths.

  Each time they left the freeway to investigate, they all quickly became anxious to get back to the convoy to simply get away from the terrible scene that repeated itself everywhere.

  “These pit stops are depressing,” Eric voiced.

  “Yes they are,” Sergeant Woodall replied, “and it makes me wonder where everyone is?”

  “I suppose most people took off when they realized the Russians were invading from Canada.”

  Sergeant Woodall looked around at all the abandoned cars on the freeway. He lit up a smoke and inhaled it deep into his lungs and sighed as he exhaled. Ordinarily, there would be people on both sides of the freeway coming and going. Today, as they made their way down this artery, it was deserted, surreal.